Apparatus for electric welding.



F. L. SESSIGNS. APPARATUS Fon ELEcmc WELDING.

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APPARATUS FUR ELECTRIC WELDING. MPLICATON FILED )ULY \8. 1953t RENEWED APR. 26.19IB.

1,287,774. Patented Dee. 1T, F318.

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i o zfzzeys lment of the foregoing and related en tlng `an apparatus .adapted inventions.

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-vlelwl of a modified Fig. l'3 is an elevationv ofthe yview, with pa-rts shown. in `ing yet another modification o'fe the vappara- FRAN K L. SESSIONS, 0F

STANDARD PARTS LAKEWOOD, OHIO, ASSIGNOR, COMPANY, ,013' tGLEVELANID, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

BY MESNIL' ASSIGNMENTS, T0 THE .anrnarnsron Ennemis WELDING,

education ofLe'tters Patent.

Patented Dec. 17, 1918.

Application illed July 18, 1913, Serial No. 779,674. Renewed April 28, 1918. Serial No. 231,025.

To all whom it may concern: i

Be it known that I, FRANK L. Sessions, a citizen of the United States, and `a resident of Lakewood, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Electric 'Welding of .which the following is a specification, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best mode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to d istinguish it from other The present invention relates more particularly to the welding together ofthe juxtaposed edgesof two sheets of metal, or the abutting edges of one sheet bent into tubular form, by using a metallic electrode which 'is fused as the welding operation progresses, the fused material of said electrode incorporated in the weld. The object invention is to provide a method of procedure and a paratus for the use therein, whereby suoli an electrode having an indefinite length may bc fed continuously, if desired, automatically, at the proper rate of speed to insure the expeditious and yet thorough welding of the joint between such juxtaposed edges. To the accomtplishconsists of the steps and invention, then,

r fully described and'parmeans herein afte tlcularly po1nted out in the claims.

drawings and the following forth in detail certain steps the invention,

he annexedA description set and mechanism embodying such disclosed means but .several of the lvariousfways in which the 4'principle of the invention maybe used.

lIn said l'annexed drawings s Figure 1 is aside elevational view, .more or-lessdiagrammatic in eh to weld together the-edges of a metal -tube in accordance with my `improved method.; Fig.r 2 is asimilar form ofthe apparatus same-as viewed Figa .4 vis a -plan Aright in Figi 2;

section, i1lustratfromv thetus,"F1g. 5 is a side elevational view-offsuch lastmamed'modieation; Vand Fig. ,6 is a cross-section showing themelding operation on .a-larger scale and 4with a further modior addition, in4 apparatus.

Anvsuitable `feeding .means for -forcing arranged to rotate a s the constltuting, however,.

aracter, illustrat-l edges and the ftaneously.

plated tter d correspon" m Welded Joint g1s `tact with the abutting edges Vthe pressure rolls 2 through the feed or pulling the tube A through the welding apparatus proper may be employed, but one or more pairs of feed rolls 1, illustrated in Figs. l and 4 of the foregoing figures, are adapted for carrying out this part. of the operation. By means of said feed rolls, the tube is drawn through between two pressure rolls 2 which are disposed so as to tend to tt edges of the tube more or less closely together. Disposed directly above these pressure rolls 2 is a suitable feeding device shown as consisting of two rolls 3 between which passes a continuous metallic electrode B of indefinite length, such electrode under operating conditions, being initially forced downwardly until it is in conofthe tubing to be Welded, then slightly withdrawn so as to form an are, and being then maintained in such arcing distance.`

In the first and simplest formof apparatusillustrated (Fig. 1), a handwheel 4 is worm 5 that meshes with a worm wheel 6 on one of the rolls "3, and such wire electrode maybe fed at any desired rate, to correspond with the rate of feed of thevtube by properly rotating said hand wheel 4.' The wire 1s conveniently coiled on a reel 7 or the like, from which it is drawn by the aforesaid feeding device and a ide 8 of refractory material may `be uti ized, if desired, to direct the wire to the proper 1ioint on the tubing.

Current may be supplied from any suit' yable source, as a generator 9 and 1s conveniently conducted .to the 4tubing through and to the wire electrode rolls 3. Such current ac cordingly will pass from the electrode to the respective abutting edges of the tube, or vice versa, as the case may be, the arc formed between' thetwo lserving to heat such end of the electrode simul- The current will be regulated to develop suiiicient 4heat tograduall melt the electrode and as it thus meltst e tubinlg will beedvafned bymeans of the feed rol s sothat such meltedelectrodewill bedis- -i-n'the joint between the edges. The being "simultaneously .brought ,to a temperature, A ya continuouslv' .fonned rwhich een be made quite satisfactory `and in faetfsuperion to tt-.weided-joint Y have -faunii all fpur' thfavdinsry asy The metallic electrode being of an indefinite length, and means being provided as just described for continuously feeding the same onto the work, there need be no interru tion inthe operation during the handling of any particular piece or section of tubing. Uniformity of result is thus assured and a satisfactory speed can be ob tained as well; while a material saving is eife'cted in the amount of current consumed.

The modification illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3 consists in inter-gearing the feed rolls 3 for the electrode B with the pressure rol S 2, between which the tube A to be welded is passed. To this end, instead of the spindle with hand wheel 4 having a worm gear connection with the roll, l employ a vertically disposed spindle connected with one of said feed rolls by gears 11 and vided at its upper end with a worm 12 that meshes with a worm-gear 13 on one such -roll 3, the ratio of the gears 11, 12 and 13 being proportioned to feed the electrode at just the proper rate to correspond h the wit rate of feed of the work. It will be understood that the ressure rolls in this construction, as 'weil as in the preceding one, are power driven.

The apparatus illustrated in Figs. 4 and 5 is further elaborated by the inclusion of means for automatically regulating the rate of feed of the wire electrode B to correspond with the progress of the 'welding operation. ln addition to the feed rolls 1 and the pres- :'.5 sure rolls 2 which are disposed substantially as before, there is provided in this last form of apparatus a solenoid 14 that is adapted to be actuated by the current {lowing through the work and the wire elec. trode. This solenoid operates a bell-crank 15 which is, in turn, connected to throw in or out a double clutch 16, through which rotative movement is transmitted in a drive shaft 17 to a second shaft 18 that carries one of the feed rolls to the right, the feed is direct and at a predetermined speed, while if the clutch is thrown' to the left the feed isreversed so as to temporaril withdraw the electrode. In the intermediate position of the clutch, which is the one shown in Fig. 11, the feeding cf'theelectrode will be simply interrupted and such electrode temporarily held stationary; V i

A. spring 19, however, is so connected with the bell-crank 15 or other part of the automatic feeding. device as to normally tend to throw the c utch into direct, feed. Accordingly, u ap aratusl assuming e current to be on, e circuit .connections controlled by a s witcli 120), ifthe shaft 1 is started roaapg, iai-reiterada win be fea forwraly 65 until iteendi actually contacts with the jux- 3 for feeding the i wire electrode. When such clutch is thrown f,

or, forward, on starting up the.

taposed edges of the tube A, therebyT completing the circuit and causing such a flow of current as will actuate the solenoid to throw the clutch into reverse. The reversing of the feed will withdraw the electrode a trifle, just the end of the electrode the proper distance from said edges to establish an arc. With such arc established the flow of current from the circuit, although reduced, will still permit the clutch to drive the feed rolls forwardly and thus continuously feed the electrede at a rate capable of maintaining its end within such arcng distance, despite the gradual fusing of the end. The work being progressively advanced ast the end of the electrode, the juxtaposed) edges are brought substantially to a point of fusion as the melted material from the electrode is deposited between the same.

Should the electrode bey fed too rapidly, so as to again bring the same into actua contact with the Work, the solenoid will be actuated by the increased flow of current to interrupt the feeding operation, or even to reverse the same. As soon, however, as the distance of the electrode from the work is restored to normal, the clutch is thrown., into the Aforward and the o eration proceeded with. The operation o the solenoid may be very sensitive so that a very exact control ofthe feeding operation is secured, the wire electrode being advanced at just the proper speed to give the desired welding eect.` The tension of spring 19 may be adjusted by means of a nut 22.

In rolling up the sheet or strip of metal to preliminarily form thetube for use in the ordinary butt-welding o to stretch the outer sur that the juxtaposed edges may lie in substantially the same radial lane with respect to the axis of the tube. or use in, thepresent improved process, however, .it is not necessary to do this, that the edges a be left in their norma state so that they'liare4 e triiie and thus form a sort of troughfas. illustrated in at exaggeratedjashion in Fig. 6. words, the extreme inner portion. of the meetin' faces will eomeinto'eloser contact than e outer portion of such faces, and the fused metal 3 that is deposited from the electrodewill thus be held more closelybef` tween such edges and not fall .through into the vinterior o the tube. This latter result eration, it is usu .or the feeding position' sufficient, in fact, to remove A al ace vof the sheet so and in fact it is preferable K to ist tempt has been made to show the same in detail" in the drawings.

While the several foregoing described forms of apparatus for use in my improved method are illustrated as adapted for welding the edges of 'tubing together, it will be understood that the apparatus may be equally well utilized for welding together the juxtaposed edges of separate sheets or .other articles. Accordingly for the purpose of this specification and the following claims, the respective edge portions of the tube may be regarded simply as two metallic articles, although they form'part of the same tube. -My improved process, however, does find a highly advantageous field of use in the manufacture of tubing, since by means of it tubing of indefinite length can be made from a strip or skelp, being fed through the Weld-` ing apparatus, while a metallic electrode, of like indefinite length is progressively brought into proximity with the contacting or substantially contacting edges of the tube. The current, it will be observed, by reason of y the circuit connections employed, is passed through such edges of the tube and the electrode.

Other modes of applying the princi: -ple of my invention may be employed 1nstead of the -one explained, change being made as regards the steps or mechanism herein disclosed, provided the'means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

4I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention Y 1. In apparatus for electrically welding tubing, the combination of pressure rolls adapted to maintain the edges of a preliminarily formed tube in substantial contact; means adaptedto feed a metallic electrode transversely of such tube toward such edges; means vadapted to feed such tube longitudinally so as to move 'such edges progressively past the end of said electrode; circuit connections for passing a fusing electric current through said electrode to both such edges; a suitable driver; a clutch for operatively connecting said electrode feeding means with said driver; and electro-magnetic Ymeans connected in such circuit and adapted to operate said clutch. Y

2. In apparatus for electrically Welding tubing, the combination of pressure rolls adapted to maintain the edges of a preliminarily formed tube in. substantial contact;

'means adapted to feed a metallic electrode transversely of such tube toward such edges; means adapted to feed such tube longitudinally so as to move such edges progressively past the end of said electrode; circuit connections for passing a fusing electric current through said electrode to both such edges' a suitable driver; a clutch. adapted optionally to connect said electrode feeding means directly or reversely with sald driver; and

electro-magnetic means connected in such circuit and adapted to operate said clutch.

Signed by me, this 16th day of Jul 1913.

FRANK L. SESSI NS. Attested by- D. T. DAvms, .I No. F. OBERLIN. 

